April 27, 2001 Press Release

21st Century Solutions Designed To Meet 21st Century Challenges

Managed Care Pharmacy Directors Rate Novartis Best for Pull-Through Programs, According to Cognet-X, Inc.

FEASTERVILLE, PA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 2001--Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. offered the best pull-through programs during the first quarter of 2001, leading managed care pharmacy directors reported to Cognet-X, Inc.

Novartis' score of 244 topped that of its nearest competitor by 27% in the Pull-Through Programs assessment of Cognet-X's PAR-Rx (Promotional Assessment Research) Report(TM). Pull-through programs are pharmaceutical company initiatives designed to increase the market share of specific products while reducing pharmaceutical expenditures for managed care organizations.
GlaxoSmithKline placed second in the Pull-Through Programs category with 178 points, squeezing past Pfizer, Inc., with 177 points. GSK also received a first-place ranking for its Disease/Health Management Programs, another of the six assessment categories within the PAR-Rx's quarterly assessment survey.

The rankings utilize Cognet-X's proprietary Scale of Influence model to assess pharmaceutical company promotional activity to leading managed care pharmacy directors.

"PAR-Rx panelists saw Novartis as an excellent partner who is very proactive in analyzing an individual plan's needs and developing a customized program to address those goals," according to Cognet-X's Director of Market Research Analysis, Charles M. Maier. "Novartis mobilized its district managers and sales reps to provide outstanding physician education and follow-through while working within individual plan guidelines."

GlaxoSmithKline's programs garnered favorable comments for providing innovative programs that result in "win-win" outcomes. "Panelists said GlaxoSmithKline pulled in its sales organization to ensure that physicians were well-informed about product formulary status and that the appropriate message was received," Maier said.

Pfizer earned the respect of many panelists for its wide range of pull-through programs and its strong follow-through. "Pharmacy directors said Pfizer offered programs for virtually every clinical hot point and appreciated the commitment shown by its sales organization," Maier explained.

Panelists also singled out Aventis Pharmaceuticals' program for Allegra as being an excellent example of a pull-through program. Aventis utilized a variety of formats and approaches to achieve mutual goals, including coupons, sampling stickers, sales rep detailing and in-service sessions with targeted physicians to chart utilization trends within the allergy market.

"Pharmacy directors were clearly impressed. Several said that, within a few months of the program's initiation, Allegra's market share increased by between 20% and more than 50% in their plan," Maier said.
Below is the list of companies that received top-10 rankings for their pull-through programs.

    1. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

    2. GlaxoSmithKline

    3. Pfizer, Inc.

    4. Aventis Pharmaceuticals

    5. Merck & Co. Inc.

    6. AstraZeneca LP

    7. American Home Products Corp.

    8. TAP Pharmaceutical Products, Inc.

    9. Johnson & Johnson

    10. The Procter & Gamble Co.

About the PAR-Rx Report

Cognet-X's PAR-Rx Report is a year-round service that provides the pharmaceutical industry with real-time, Internet-based competitive intelligence on pharmaceutical company promotion to influential managed care pharmacy directors.

The Report offers Cognet-X clients the ability to evaluate and analyze variable differences that are critically important to their decision-making process. The Report collects comprehensive data that can be segmented and analyzed to provide clients with "21st-Century solutions to their 21st-Century challenges."

About Cognet-X

Cognet-X offers the pharmaceutical industry market research, consulting and software development that help companies build and refine their relationships with numerous customer bases, including the managed care community. Based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Cognet-X is privately held and employee owned.

For more information on the PAR-Rx Report or other cutting-edge Cognet-X products, please contact Robert E. Houghton or Charles M. Maier at 1-866-cognetx (866-264-6389) or via e-mail at robh@cognetx.com or chuckm@cognetx.com

Home | Feedback | Up

Cognet~X Inc.
1210 NorthBrook Drive, Suite 150
Feasterville, PA 19053
Toll Free: 1-866-cognetx (264-6389)
Or
E-mail us at
info@cognetx.com
sales@cognetx.com